Oncidium comprises a genus of about 400 species from the tropical and subtropical Americas. Oncidium orchids are primarily epiphytic or lithophytic with a minor portion being terrestrial. All species are sympodial in growth and may vary greatly in other morphology and size.
Oncidium breeding is typically done from sexual methods. Asexual propagation of Oncidium is often done in aseptic tissue culture from apical or axillary shoots.
The new cultivar was discovered by the Inventor within the progeny of a cross made by the Inventor on Oct. 3, 1994. The Inventor selected Oncidium Sweet Ears ‘The OrchidWorks’ as a single plant from a population of over 120 plants grown by James McCully Orchid Culture Inc. dba The OrchidWorks in Hakalau, Hi., a company owned by the Inventor. Oncidium Sweet Ears ‘The OrchidWorks’ was submitted by the Inventor to a commercial tissue culture laboratory, BB Laboratory, Bangkok, Thailand, on Dec. 12, 1999, for propagation through aseptic tissue culture technique. A quantity was produced for evaluation and has demonstrated that the unique combination of characteristics as herein disclosed for the new cultivar are firmly fixed and are retained through successive generations of asexual reproduction.
Other seedlings from the cross that produced Oncidium Sweet Ears ‘The OrchidWorks’ have been commercially available from others. The characteristics of Oncidium Sweet Ears ‘The OrchidWorks’ are clearly distinguishable from the characteristics of those other plants. Those other plants were sold by The OrchidWorks without specific epithet to individuals and other nurseries. To the Inventor's knowledge, there are no named clones owned by others. Plants of the grex Oncidium Sweet Ears are sold as plants of the grex without specific epithet.